Smart card readers are used in a variety of applications, for example, in combination with handheld devices and personal computers for security related purposes.
Some operating systems (such as Microsoft® Windows®) installed in personal computers include a generic or multipurpose smart card resource manager. Third party vendors may also provide their own smart card readers, which may thus require their own smart card reader drivers to be installed for use with the operating system. In such instances, the smart card resource manager may communicate with the vendor-specific smart card reader driver ahead of accessing or communicating with the smart card reader.
Improved efficiencies in communications among smart card resource managers, smart card reader drivers and smart card readers are desirable.